12-14-2022, 04:20 PM
Hello Alan (dadlamassu),
To answer John's question, I invited you to 'volunteer' your military perspective (well, I wrote what others were probably thinking).
John, Nathan and Renatus have already answered your questions but I'll nibble at the margins.
1) The timeline issue, prior to Suetonius arriving/leaving London, is a rabbit hole best avoided. I think it better to consider Tacitus' text in terms of place and order, not that that removes ambiguity.
2) The crucial point to consider was when Suetonius left London with his army of < 10k men. What were his motives, what did he assume he knew, did he understand what Boudica's plan was or what her imperatives were, what was his plan A, did he have a plan B at that point and, given answers to the preceding, which direction from London did he march? It's Suetonius' decisions that govern the outcome of the rebellion; if we could get a clearer understanding of his military mind ...
3) Assuming that he knew the 2nd was not marching when he was in London how might this affect his plan(s). Would a military commander try to gain control of the 2nd? How might this factor influence his direction of march from London?
4) Scale: southern England is a small place. How would a military commander think of this area of operation, where are the borders, where are the havens (forts). Would he plan a movement from London within this small area that best utilised the differences between his forces (those with him, those to be approached, those to be commanded to rendezvous). Terrain type, distances, supplies, reinforcements, friendly/hostile territory, politics, the season - so many factors.
5) Force numbers at the battle: I'm interested to hear what your military mind says the minimum size of a force of tribesmen would have to be to cause them to think they could attack and defeat a c.1km wide, Roman frontline sited in a topographic depression. A ratio of 2:1 (tribesmen:Romans), 3:1, 4:1? What factors influence the decision making, both for the individual tribesmen and Boudica and her advisors?
I'll stop nibbling.
Thanks for this examination - hope you enjoy it.
Regards, Steve Kaye
To answer John's question, I invited you to 'volunteer' your military perspective (well, I wrote what others were probably thinking).
John, Nathan and Renatus have already answered your questions but I'll nibble at the margins.
1) The timeline issue, prior to Suetonius arriving/leaving London, is a rabbit hole best avoided. I think it better to consider Tacitus' text in terms of place and order, not that that removes ambiguity.
2) The crucial point to consider was when Suetonius left London with his army of < 10k men. What were his motives, what did he assume he knew, did he understand what Boudica's plan was or what her imperatives were, what was his plan A, did he have a plan B at that point and, given answers to the preceding, which direction from London did he march? It's Suetonius' decisions that govern the outcome of the rebellion; if we could get a clearer understanding of his military mind ...
3) Assuming that he knew the 2nd was not marching when he was in London how might this affect his plan(s). Would a military commander try to gain control of the 2nd? How might this factor influence his direction of march from London?
4) Scale: southern England is a small place. How would a military commander think of this area of operation, where are the borders, where are the havens (forts). Would he plan a movement from London within this small area that best utilised the differences between his forces (those with him, those to be approached, those to be commanded to rendezvous). Terrain type, distances, supplies, reinforcements, friendly/hostile territory, politics, the season - so many factors.
5) Force numbers at the battle: I'm interested to hear what your military mind says the minimum size of a force of tribesmen would have to be to cause them to think they could attack and defeat a c.1km wide, Roman frontline sited in a topographic depression. A ratio of 2:1 (tribesmen:Romans), 3:1, 4:1? What factors influence the decision making, both for the individual tribesmen and Boudica and her advisors?
I'll stop nibbling.
Thanks for this examination - hope you enjoy it.
Regards, Steve Kaye
